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Monday, November 24, 2014

Daily Far West Updates - Why It's NOT Tracing or Copying or Whatnot

First things first - I don't do RPGNet. Too much drama. Too many bans. Big Purple ain't for me. Gareth doesn't want folks reposting Far West backer only updates, because somehow that is an attempt to get around his lifetime ban at the Palace of Ill Repute. I don't get that.

So, I'm not going to quote in whole, but only in part. It's the least pleasure I can get for my 150 bucks that I pissed away in a drunken stupor. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it:

I've also gotten a couple questions about the art process -- including some criticism from some corners of the internet about "putting photoshop filters on photos" -- so I figured I'd take the time here to let you know how the art style for FAR WEST has always worked, whether it was me or Rick Hershey behind the pen. We use source images (public domain film stills, photos of backers sent in by you guys, stock photos, my own sourced photos from trips to Dodge City, Durango Colorado, and more) to create an original digital collage, which is then used as the reference for a new illustration. The works are then done by hand (in my case, using -- depending on whether I'm doing the work on my laptop or my desktop -- either a Wacom Bamboo or a Yiynova MSP19U pen tablet monitor).

Awesome - so Rich was just better at the whole "photoshop to a fake piece of art" type of deal. I'm glad it's only used as a "reference", because if it were taken lock, stock and barrel, that would be embarrassing. Kinda like saying you only used the real 20 dollar bill to make your counterfeit - it was only used for reference.

18 comments:

I read it as Gareth saying that since he's banned at RPG.Net (and it's great to see that meme about it being a hive of scum and villainy thriving - thanks! :) ), he can't defend himself from any pushback that happens from his updates on his extremely late project. But I dunno, maybe I'm wrong.

As someone who has done digital linework, digital colors, AND played with Photoshop Filters, I can say confidently that any work done by hand on the above art and those like it is simply to clean up what the filters don't read. So you set up your Photoshop Action to duplicate the 'Photobashed' picture, apply the filters, in order, I'm guessing Cutout and maybe one or two others, a Color layer, then your multiply layers for your 'line work' and all you have to do is press 'Play' on your action with a new piece of 'art'. A short bit later and you have... well... that.

I will take photos from the web and dress them up with a little filter magic in Photoshop for blog posts, but I only find that acceptable because it is for the extremely limited audience of myself and the 2d10 people who read my blog.. I am not trying to pass it off as original art and certainly not trying to pass it off as professional art in a product for which I am collecting an absurd amount of money.

Besides, I was under the impression that a good RPG kick-starter should basically be a resolved ruleset, and the money is intended to pay for editing, art, proofs, printing, perks, and shipping.... ?!?

As an aside, I have to say that's never been my experience of RPGnet. I've been on there for many drama free years. I've only seen a few bans and those were for certifiable trolling/ignoring warnings/being dicks. Granted, I stay out of tangency so maybe that helps?

Anyway, not trying to negate anyone else's experience just thought I'd point out my own.

I'll draw over sampled images all the time but I use it like using any model or photo as a reference not the core of the image (except for when I'm going for satire). If those two images above are samples of the art in question... oh boy.

I love how the creator of a failing Kickstarters always uses the excuse that "real life" keeps getting in the way of completing the project.

News flash, genius: IF YOU TAKE 50 GRAND OF OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY FOR A PROJECT, COMPLETING THAT PROJECT BECOMES PART OF YOUR "REAL LIFE". If you don't want that responsibility, don't go on the internet with your hand out.

I just assume the money I paid in advance for his Buckaroo Banzai RPG was used as toilet paper. What galls me more than the lateness (several years now) is the blithe disregard for the customer and refusal to deign to update us on the status, even just to say "still waiting on the license holder's approval." If I see his name on a product or project, I run the other way.

Apropos of nothing: Musa in Korean is warrior. Mu is like Wu in Chinese or Bu in Japanese. Means "war." Sa is "person" more or less: a Dosa is a "person of the way," and is probably the same as the -ka in karateka. So the title of the film is "Warrior the warrior." I suspect a better English title is going to sound far too World of Darkness: Musa: The Warrior. With a colon.

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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (thank you Kickstarter) (edit) BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and will soon have some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep shipping shortly in my grubby hands awaiting a review..

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls (and still waiting on dT&T to ship).

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 48, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)